Savoring the taste of things to come

`Amuse-Bouche' shows that good flavors come in tiny packages

November 13, 2002|By Kristin Eddy, Tribune staff reporter.

Rick Tramonto sees perfection in a spoonful of lentils. Perfection, that is, in a bite-size mound of tri-color lentil salad with minced bacon, black truffle vinaigrette and a feathery sprig of chervil.

Tramonto, the executive chef and co-owner of Tru in Streeterville, likes to downsize in a big way by funneling his large culinary talents into tiny portions. And he doesn't just serve recipes such as the concoction above; he also turned the idea into a new book, "Amuse-Bouche: Little Bites of Delight Before the Meal Begins" (Random House, $35).

A French term, amuse-bouche (pronounced BOOSH) means something that delights or pleases the mouth. As at Tru, it has become standard practice in an increasing number of high-end restaurants to send out a little unexpected something to diners before the traditional appetizer course arrives.

And although the bites are small, Tramonto explains that they shouldn't be confused with hors d'oeuvres, which he said are snacks that may have nothing to do stylistically with what is to be on the menu later.

"The amuse is part of the meal; it prepares people for what is coming and gives them a sense of different textures, like juice, crunch and foam. Kind of sets your palate going and gets you primed."

Not only does it give the chef a chance to show a bit of flair, the little taste also is a bit of hospitality from the kitchen: The amuse is always free.

In its simplest form, the idea could be as simple as the presentation of a couple of spiced olives or warm cheese puffs. At Tru, where the kitchen sends out hundreds of individual amuses a night, Tramonto offers recipes that could in theory be expanded into full-scale meals, but instead he holds the concept to a single mouthful.

Sample, for example, his deconstruction of clam chowder: Tramonto turns the idea into a lone clam shell sheltering a white-wine- and herb-braised Manila clam and diced Italian sausage (instead of the traditional bacon). Tart shells the size of a half-dollar get a filling of carrot puree and a liberal crown of slow-cooked oxtail. And the chef's Italian background turns up in a rigatoni tube plumped with ricotta cheese and basil and placed over a doll's portion of mixed vegetables.

Tramonto's childhood plays a hand in his love of amuses.

"At Thanksgiving, if you have a big Italian family, you have antipasto," he said. "My mom would call them `snackies.' She would say, `What are we going to have for snackies?' Even when it is spaghetti and meatballs at home, it is always nice to have something to refresh the palate."

The amuses at Tru have been such a hit with guests that the restaurant expanded the concept four-fold.

When the restaurant first opened in 1999, diners were presented with a single amuse. That eventually evolved into two; now diners find four of them, plated next to each other in a square, covering a range of textures and temperatures. They find at least four of them, that is; Tramonto often sends out multiple amuse courses, creating pre-menu menus.

"People are often so cranky when they come in," he said with a laugh. "It's Friday, they have been working hard all week, they are late because they had to go through the traffic. And here is a little offering from the chef that they didn't expect."

And although the quartet of amuses comes compliments of the house, the restaurant has just begun to feature a three-course tasting--four amuses to a course--in the early evening at the Tru bar for $45.

The idea of the book, of course, is to encourage people to try some of these recipes at home. Is this a chefs-only sort of cookbook? Tramonto argues no.

"I wanted my aunt and my friends to cook from it as much as for my cooks to be inspired by it," he said.

And many of the recipes in the book are simple enough, with brief ingredient lists and easy-to-follow directions. Tim Turner's beautiful photographs add another elegant note. One whole chapter is devoted to juiced fruits and vegetables, distilling nature's essence into a shot glass.

But other recipes feature ingredients such as frog legs, black truffles and veal sweetbreads, which may alarm many home cooks.

Two of the recipes that are absurdly simple and guaranteed to please guests include a warm, gingery carrot soup and miniature puff pastry sandwiches filled with bronzed onion slices.

As Tramonto writes in the introduction, "Food's mission is to bring joy, excitement and pleasure to the heart, soul and all five senses."

Sometimes that means living large, with heaping portions. But what a welcome turnaround to see how much vivid color and flavor can be found in a single bite.